A common configuration of a disposable wiper on a flat frame includes having one of the wiper's side positioned up against a relatively smooth bottom surface of the flat frame. If the bottom surface of the flat frame is not completely smooth, the bottom surface of the flat frame may have raised protrusions or “dimples” that may be used as a scrubbing aid or to help keep the media (e.g., disposable wiper) stationary. The common manner for attaching a disposable wiper is by pressing the material into a “star” type feature/geometry located at each corner of the flat frame. The “star” shape is simply a few flexible plastic arrow-type pointed segments that converge toward a center. The arrow-type pointed segments are made by thru-cuts in a plastic part. Each “star” type feature is typically located on the top surface of the flat frame at each of the corners and a portion of the disposable wiper is inserted through the “star” type feature and into a hole in the flat frame. These holes in the frame, which are covered by the “star” type feature, can easily collect and retain dirt.
Due to the structural configuration of these “star” type features covering the holes for receiving wiper material, there is no easy way to clean and/or remove dirt unless the “star” type feature can be removed. Also, with the star's arrow-type pointed segments basically touching each other, rinsing out with water is ineffective. An additional shortcoming with the “star” type feature is that the media (e.g., wiper material) is not attached to the frame across a significant length of the flat frame (e.g., the entire length of the flat frame). This, in turn, can have the wiper material mounted too loosely and sloppy looking in appearance. Additionally, the wiper material needs to overlap the flat frame significantly to lock securely within the “star” type feature.
Using the common method of wiper-attachment with the “star” type feature positioned on a top section of the frame in each corner, the media (e.g., disposable wiper) is stationary against the bottom smooth or semi-smooth surface of the flat frame. As a user cleans a floor, either wet or dry cleaning (dusting), the debris (e.g., soil and/or dirt) will almost always undesirably build-up on the front leading edge of the flat frame. When removing the wiper from the flat frame, through visual examination, a user can clearly see that the wiper has a line of debris (e.g., soil and/or dirt) on the outside of the wiper and the material of the wiper appears significantly cleaner towards the inside of the wiper. Accordingly, a majority of the wiper material has not been sufficiently utilized for the collection and removal of debris (e.g., soil and/or dirt) from surfaces to be cleaned. This approach is an inefficient way to clean since the wiper is designed to collect and/or hold the debris (e.g., soil and/or dirt), but a majority of the wiper has not been sufficiently used for collection of debris (e.g., soil and/or dirt). For instance, most of the wiper is not being used to collect and/or hold debris (e.g., soil and/or dirt) as the debris (e.g., soil and/or dirt) is only collected and built-up along the wiper's long edge, and not the internal portion of the wiper. Additionally, such an approach simply wastes a significant amount of viable wiper material. That is, wiper materials are generally engineered to hold and/or collect the debris (e.g., soil and/or dirt), but most of the wiper material is not be used to full or even near cleaning capacity (e.g., the wiper material in the central portion of the wiper positioned on traditional flat fames is thrown away without first collecting and/or holding any significant amount of debris).
Two-sided flat mops have come into the market years after the single-sided flat mop has been well established throughout much of the global marketplace. The commercial cleaning industry like many others continually look for ways to improve the efficiency of their chemicals and tools. The two-sided mop is one such tool. Having either a disposable or reusable wiper material fixed to two sides (top and bottom), allows the user to clean more floor area faster because they are reducing the number of trips to, for example, a clean cart to access a replacement clean wiper.
As just described, this is an efficiency improvement to the user's cleaning process. However, it has been identified through limited testing of two-sided flat mops themselves that there is a problem with some current two-sided designs. These problematic designs have a yoke assembly that is attached to one long edge of the mop frame. This assembly can rotate 180 degrees allowing the mop frame to be used on both sides, in turn, the ability to clean with two mop surfaces alternately. The problem identified is that the yoke's hinge does not extend out far enough to allow the yoke to be centered within the mop frame. This design is typically used in a cleaning figure-eight motion by pulling the mop where the yoke hinge would extend just past the mops leading edge. This method is not as efficient as a single-sided frame where the yoke is centered within the frame. For efficient cleaning, the user will use both push had pull motions for different areas of cleaning. For large open areas the figure-eight method of pulling the mop is used. For hard to clean areas and targeted spot cleaning a push force is used.
The foregoing two-sided configuration just described is not efficient when pushing because the user's push force that is emitted down the length of the mop handle is not centered over the mop distributing the downward force evenly over the mop frame, in turn, a force being applied directly over a targeted soiled surface. For the single-sided frame, however, the centrally located yoke (as mentioned) at the center of the downward force distributes its force out fairly evenly because the frame is ridged. The radiating force from center, however, does dissipate as it gets out toward the frames edges, but is still more efficient when applying a force over the mop as oppose to pulling the mop over the floor as mentioned.
Therefore, there at least remains a need in the art for an improved mop frame (e.g., a flat mop frame) configured for providing a more even distribution of debris (e.g., soil and/or dirt) across a surface of a wiper material from a surface being cleaned. Also, there at least remains a need in the art for an improved mop frame (e.g., a flat mop frame) which provides an improved attachment structure for engaging and releasably holding a wiper material onto the mop frame. There is additionally a need for dual-sided mop frame that enables improved efficiency in cleaning.